The present invention relates generally to ground engaging apparatus and more particularly is directed to a connector pin assembly used to captively and releasably retain a replaceable ground engaging wear member on a support member on which the wear member is telescoped.
In the ground engaging apparatus shown in FIGS. 1-7 of U.S. Pat. No. 6,976,325, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference, a rotatable connector pin assembly is used to releasably join telescoped ground-engaging members, such as an adapter and tooth point, and includes telescoped pin and tubular cartridge portions. To use the assembly, the telescoped pin and cartridge portions are inserted into aligned openings in the adapter and tooth point. The cartridge has a non-circular cross-section along its length and is complementarily received in the non-circular adapter connector opening. This keeps the cartridge from rotating relative to the adapter and tooth point, but the pin can be rotated within the cartridge between unlocking and locking positions rotationally separated, representatively, by approximately 120 degrees.
With the pin in its locking position, end tabs or “ears” on the pin block removal of the tooth point from the adapter. However, with the pin rotated to its unlocking position relative to the cartridge, the tabs unblock the tooth point and permit it to slide onto or off of the adapter, the tabs moving through opposite interior side surface recesses of the tooth point as it is moved onto or off of the adapter. Resilient detent structures on the pin operative to resiliently and releasably hold the pin in either one of its locking and unlocking positions.
In using this connector pin assembly it has been discovered that in some applications the pin, when subjected to certain operational forces, may be rotationally dislodged from its locking position to its unlocking position, thereby permitting the tooth point to fall off the adapter. A need thus exists to for an improved connector pin assembly that substantially eliminates this potential wear member dislodgment problem. It is to this need that the present invention is primarily directed.